Apparently English Elm is not so common "up norf". I think the further up you go it seems to be replaced by Wych Elm. Steve I can only speak for Suffolk and north Essex, as I know this area pretty well but if there's as much in your area as there is here, you'll have no problem finding a future masterpiece!

will baddeley wrote:Warren. The wrinckles were made with a surgeons scalpel. Push the blade in at a slight angle and draw it down the wood. repeat this action but come in from the other side and a tiny v shaped piece of wood comes out. Then soften the edges with a wire brush.

will baddeley wrote:Tony. Here's a close up of some carving done on a Yew a couple of years ago, using the same method.

Will, did you carve the insides, I mean the hollow part? I can't seem to create a hollow look like this. I always end up removing the outer lip to widen the opening just to deepen the hollow part. Since I can't acquire beavertools or those samurais (it will just cost me a leg ) I'm using a core box router bit with a die grinder to make the hollows.

Pls. pardon my over inquisitive attitude.

Warren

Last edited by waway on Sat Oct 31, 2009 2:39 pm; edited 1 time in total

Sorry Warren only just seen your third from last post. Yes I did carve the inside but you will need a cutter with a long shaft. This is the only way to leave a narrow opening. You can get them up to 4" 100mm long.

Last edited by will baddeley on Wed Nov 04, 2009 1:16 am; edited 1 time in total

will baddeley wrote:Sorry Warren only just seen your third from last post. Yes I did carve the inside but you will need a cutter with a long shaft. This is the only way to leave a narrow opening. You can get them up to 4" 100cm long.

Now I will have to find an alternative for that long shaft. All part of the challenge.

Will, love your trees & your method, MAN what you did with that carving tools ?I can't stop watching it , both of them, the elm & yew, are fantastic example of natural looking carving , Thank you so much for sharing .keep on good work.

Thanks Mehrdad. I'm glad so many people have been inspired by this one tree. I spend a lot of time in my local woods, observing and photographing deadwood and decay. I find it fascinating!! Thats where my inspiration comes from.Peter. When you say melancholy, are you talking of a tree in decline? When I come across a veteran tree, full of deadwood, character and clearly fighting for survival, I find myself uplifted. The struggle, the stress, these trees have made it through all sorts of adversity and are still going strong. My Church!

Here's one I put together two years ago. Collected from the same place as the raft, this was originally two uninteresting rafts. One year after collection, I decided to make individual trees and as they had both rooted all the way along, I cut them up. I now had thirteen individual shohin sized trees. I was given the fiberglass pot by a friend and decided to build a forrest using the Elms. The height was built up using Keto tsuchi Sorry about the background. My usual backdrop is too small. Length of pot 1 metre, three feet.

Sorry Nick, no pics with clothes on.Andy, I take it by your response a Stone Monkey pot is out of the question!!Steve, the planting is 3 ft / 1m. If a conventional kiln is out of the questiondoes anyone use an Anagama [think thats correct spelling] kiln?

My kiln is way too small the max I can do is 22 " x 17", depth irrelevent

Anagama is the correct spelling, the nearest I know of is bonsai potter Patrice Bongrad in France. I do not know of any Bonsai Potter in the UK who has an anagama, a japanese updraft firing wood kiln for those who dont know But I will know of one within the next 18 ish months, nudge nudge wink wink if I can afford the brickwork, need to sell more pots

I know Ian Baillie can do big, but not sure if this big. Ian makes beautiful pots and its a shame he does not show his work here on the IBC. Dan Barton can also do big, bit of kiln envy coming in here, as I have seen Dan's kiln so you may have a short quest in finding your pot after all. Which ever way you go if you get an English Bonsai potter, with one big enough, to make your pot for your composition then ding dong you'll have a great tree pot combo going on there